Motonari Mori - Mourimotori

A military commander in the Sengoku period. He was the second son of Mori Hiromoto, lord of Yoshida Koriyama Castle, Takata County, Aki Province (Yoshida-cho, Akitakata City, Hiroshima Prefecture). Later, when his father handed over Koriyama Castle to his older brother Okimoto and retired to Tajihisarugake Castle (Yoshida-cho, Akitakata City), Mori followed him. After Okimoto and his son Komatsumaru died young, he was recommended by a senior vassal to take over as head of the family in 1523 (Oei 3) and entered Koriyama Castle. In a situation where the Ouchi and Amago forces were at odds, he played a central role on the Ouchi side in Aki, and in 40 (Tenbun 9), the castle was surrounded by a large army led by Amago Haruhisa, but he successfully repelled them. After that, he established control over his own clan internally, taking advantage of the execution of his senior vassal, the Inoue clan, in 50, and externally, taking advantage of the assassination of Ouchi Yoshitaka by Sue Harukata in 51, he expanded his control to Aki and Bingo, and then in 55 (Koji 1), he defeated the Sue clan in the Battle of Itsukushima and took control of Suo and Nagato. Furthermore, in 66 (Eiroku 9), he forced Amago Yoshihisa of Izumo Toda Castle (Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture) to surrender, and in 68 he raised an army to attack the Otomo clan, spreading his control over 10 provinces, from Nagato in the west to Bitchu and Inaba in the east. After his death, his eldest grandson Terumoto succeeded him.

Motonari was most concerned with how to govern his vast territory. The Mori clan originated as kokujin feudal lords, and their territory had expanded rapidly, so there was no unified principle of governance. In particular, the existence of powerful vassals known as kokushu, who had originally been on an equal footing with the Mori clan, made the difficulties even greater. Motonari therefore sought to improve the chigyo system through surveys of the conquered territories, to strengthen the military base and local control by promoting small local lords as vassals, and to enhance administrative control through the bureaucratic system. One of the most notable policies was the policy of adopting and marrying powerful vassals, taking advantage of the fact that he had many children. The core of this group was the "Mori Ryosen" - Motoharu, the second son, who was adopted into the Kikkawa family, and Takakage, the third son, who was adopted into the Kobayakawa family. As heads of influential vassal families and as members of the Mori clan, they provided excellent support to the main family.

Perhaps because of his background, Motonari was a very meticulous and cautious person, and he frequently admonished his children. His consideration extended to the smallest details, and after his father and older brother died young from alcohol, Motonari himself became a light drinker, and there is even a letter that remains in which he admonished his grandson Terumoto not to drink too much. Particularly famous is a letter in which Motoharu and Takakage, who tended to focus on their foster family, advised them not to neglect the Mori family and to cooperate with their eldest son Takamoto. This letter is thought to have been the source of the anecdote about the three arrows, in which Motonari exhorted the three brothers to unite, showing that while a single arrow can easily break, three tied together are less likely to break.

[Ike Toru]

"The Three Lords' Biography Compilation Office, 'The Biography of Lord Motonari, Vol. 1' (1944 , Rokumeikan)" ▽ "The Aki Mori Clan, by Masaharu Kawai (1984, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)" ▽ "Everything about Motonari, edited by Masaharu Kawai (1996, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

戦国時代の武将。安芸(あき)国高田(たかた)郡吉田郡山(よしだこおりやま)城（広島県安芸高田市吉田町）主、毛利弘元(ひろもと)の二男。のちに父が兄興元(おきもと)に郡山城を譲って多治比猿掛(たじひさるがけ)城（安芸高田市吉田町）に隠退した際、それに従った。興元とその子幸松丸(こうまつまる)が相次いで早世したため、1523年（大永3）重臣に推されて家督を継ぎ、郡山城に入った。大内・尼子(あまご)両勢力の対立する状況のもとで、安芸における大内方の中心として活動し、40年（天文9）には尼子晴久(はるひさ)の率いる大軍に城を囲まれたが、よくこれを撃退した。以後、内にあっては、50年の重臣井上氏一族誅伐(ちゅうばつ)を契機に家中支配権を確立し、外に向かっては、51年に陶晴賢(すえはるかた)が大内義隆(よしたか)を弑(しい)したのに乗じ安芸・備後(びんご)に支配を広げ、続いて55年（弘治1）の厳島(いつくしま)の戦いで陶氏を滅ぼし周防(すおう)・長門(ながと)を手中に収めた。さらに66年（永禄9）には出雲(いずも)富田(とだ)城（島根県安来(やすぎ)市）の尼子義久(よしひさ)を降伏させ、68年には大友氏攻撃の軍をおこすなど、諸方面に支配の手を伸ばし、その領域は西は長門から東は備中(びっちゅう)・因幡(いなば)まで10か国に及んだという。死後、嫡孫輝元(てるもと)がその跡を継いだ。

　元就がもっとも腐心したのは、広大な領国の統治策である。毛利氏が国人(こくじん)領主出身であり、その版図が急激に拡大したものであったため、そこには支配の統一的原則がなかったからである。とりわけ、もともと毛利氏と対等の関係にあった国衆(くにしゅう)とよばれる有力家臣の存在は、その困難をいっそう大きくした。そこで元就は、征服地の検地などを通じた知行(ちぎょう)制の整備、在地小領主層の家臣への取り立てによる軍事力基盤・在地支配体制の強化、官僚制機構を通じた行政支配の充実などを図った。なかでも特徴的なのは、子供の多いことを利した、養子・婚姻による有力家臣との縁組政策である。その中核が、吉川(きっかわ)家の養子となった二男元春(もとはる)、小早川(こばやかわ)家の養子となった三男隆景(たかかげ)の「毛利両川(りょうせん)」である。彼らは有力家臣家の当主として、また毛利氏一族として、本宗家をよく支えた。

　元就は、その経歴ゆえか、性格が非常に細心・慎重で、子供たちにも盛んに訓戒を与えていた。配慮は微細に及び、親・兄が酒のために早世したことから自身は下戸となり、孫の輝元にも飲酒がすぎぬよう戒めた書状が残っているほどである。とりわけ有名なのは、養家に目を向けがちな元春・隆景に、毛利家をおろそかにしてはならぬとして嫡子隆元(たかもと)への協力を諭した書状で、これが、矢は1本では簡単に折れるが、3本束ねれば折れにくいことを示して、三兄弟の結束を説いたという、かの3本の矢の逸話の源となったとも考えられる。

［池　享］

『三卿伝編纂所編『毛利元就卿伝　上』（1944・六盟館）』▽『河合正治著『安芸毛利一族』（1984・新人物往来社）』▽『河合正治編『毛利元就のすべて』（1996・新人物往来社）』

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